Change
by Alia5
Summary: "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!” Lily swore her heart stopped when she heard those words. From this to a month later, when Lily finds out a secret. W/ happy ending


Change  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of this.  
  
A/N: I did this fic for a contest. Ended up writing six pages when I was supposed five at max. So I had to cut in down, but this is the un-cut story.  
  
~*~  
  
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"  
  
Lily swore her heart stopped when she heard those words. Lily blinked. She felt like each millisecond was a minute. She could see the shocked faces along with the still laughing Slytherins. Her mind raced. After all she had done for him.. Suddenly, as if she had just realized what he had said, she turned cold. She didn't feel as if she was Lily Evans anymore. She felt as if she was watching herself.  
  
"Fine. I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." She didn't know why she used the name she had always hated. The next things she did say, she didn't notice. Thoughts she had bottled up about James Potter came rolling off her tongue. Until, that is, she realized what she was saying.  
  
She turned around and walked toward the bathroom. As soon as she was gone from their view and Potter's incredulous look, she ran. She didn't even realize where she was until she heard a voice.  
  
"Oooh," said the high-pitched voice of Moaning Myrtle, "Why are you crying?"  
  
"Go 'way, Myrtle," she whispered.  
  
She cried a fresh sob and stormed out of the bathroom hear last Myrtle's, "Oh my."  
  
She ran until she couldn't and then began to walk. How could he? They all hated her, didn't they? Even Lupin. When she finally looked around, she saw it was late already. That was when she heard Filch. Once again she ran and ran until she couldn't run anymore.  
  
Lily was too tired to do anything. She didn't know where she was, but she wasn't hungry so she sat down. Sleep hit her.  
  
[b]Snape was sitting alone at Slytherin table as Malfoy walked up to him two days before. She could see Snape's shocked face as Malfoy and his friends told him something. Malfoy leaned down and whispered something in his ear. He looked fearful and nodded. Suddenly he yelled, "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"[/b]  
  
She woke and thought, 'But he didn't yell that at me,' before falling back asleep.  
  
[b]Snape frothing bubbles crawling on the ground-"I don't need"-Snape upside-down-"help from"-Snape with hair dripping grease-"filthy little"- Potter's laughing face-"Mudbloods"-Snape's face as a Defense partner twisting from the glowing eyes and smile to the look of hatred she saw today-"like her!"[/b]  
  
When she woke up again it was still early. She was able to make it back to her dormitory before the other girls woke. She took one of their makeup bags and covered up her red eyes. She walked down to the common room, but stopped on the stairs where the people in there couldn't see her.  
  
"Sirius, what were you thinking!?"  
  
"James."  
  
"You could have gotten him killed!"  
  
"Well the slimy git deserves after what he did to Evans!"  
  
"That's not the point! What about Remus!"  
  
"Well, erm."  
  
"You know what his greatest fear is, Padfoot! What would he have done if Snape got bitten? How do you think he would have felt?"  
  
"Well, Prongs, I."  
  
"No, Sirius Black. You went too far this time. Even I wouldn't go that far, I'm not that stupid. You knew it was the full moon. Now Snape knows, and you are no longer my friend. Get away from me, Black," his voice turned cold. "Come on Peter." Peter could be heard giving a squeak and then footsteps up the boys' stairs.  
  
"ARRRRG!" There was loud crash with the yell and the portrait slammed ("What.?"). Finally Lily decided to come down. A vase lay broken on the floor.  
  
"Reparo," it mended together. She set in on the table.  
  
She walked out the portrait. "Not another rowdy. oh, it's you. Lily."  
  
"Yeah, do you know what Black was doing? What was wrong?"  
  
"Why would I know?" she snapped. Lily sighed. It was time for the place for thought. The Library.  
  
Lily read in the Library but was too busy in her thoughts to realize what she was reading.  
  
"Are you going to go to breakfast?" snapped the Librarian.  
  
"Oh!" she let out a little gasp. Breakfast was almost over.  
  
She rushed down to breakfast.  
  
The next four weeks or so was relatively inactive for Lily. Aside from throwing constant glares at Snape, who looked worse for wear, wondering why he was suddenly sitting with Malfoy, and avoiding Black due to explosions and pranks that tended to be going off on and around him, that is. Lupin had been gone the day after the fight Lily witnessed and for the first time, she saw him hate.  
  
In truth it was sometime the same month that she started solving the mystery. Lupin was once again gone for two days near the end of the month. And it was the night she had Astronomy.  
  
"You are lucky; the full moon is out," she said with a frown at Potter and Pettigrew, who were panting, having finally decided to show.  
  
"Sorry Professor," Potter said through wheezing. "Woke up late." Lily frowned, Pettigrew loved Astronomy. He was usually early. She looked up at the moon. It was beautiful, but there was something there just beyond he grasp.  
  
"This is a special month. It is a blue moon. The full moon has risen twice in the same month," she continued, her eyes glowing once again. "Earlier this month was a full moon, as I'm sure some of you know," she smiled at Pettigrew. He smiled back but it didn't reach his eyes. Lily wondered though, Peter was known for having snuck out earlier that month to observe the stars and full moon. At least, that's what he said to the Professor.  
  
Suddenly it hit her. Remus had a full moon sickness. There were a few she knew of, but she would need to look it up.  
  
The next day she looked up sicknesses in "What is lurking in that Full Moon: The Dangers and Sicknesses of Full Moons." Despite the long title, it was a good book for her subject. There were several things he could have or be. She shuddered at the possibility he was a werewolf. That would be horrible, from her view and the book's:  
  
[i]There is one full moon danger that does not give you sickness. Werewolves, if not locked up, will roam during the full moon. A werewolf is considered a beast, although it is actually a being. A werewolf goes through a transformation as the full moon rises. He or she will be a human before and after these transformations....[/i]  
  
Poor people, was her thoughts.  
  
James was the only one in the common room. He sat looking dejected into the fire. She almost felt sorry for him. Then she realized what she could do.  
  
"Hey Potter," she said, plopping down next him on the couch.  
  
"What do you want Evans?" he said coldly, turning to look at her.  
  
"Hey, it's not my fault you lost your friend!"  
  
"Go 'way," he said to her, turning away.  
  
"Hmm," she said with an obviously sarcastic knowing tone, "that sounds familiar."  
  
"Where?" he just said in an uninterested tone.  
  
"Earlier this month. I believe I said it to Moaning Myrtle," she said for unknown reasons, even to her.  
  
"Who?" he was interested now.  
  
"Moaning Myrtle. She haunts the girls' bathroom on the second floor."  
  
"Why would anyone want to haunt that?" he laughed. Potter leaned back and stretched, smiling at her. Suddenly she knew the person Lupin and Pettigrew were friends with. This carefree, relaxed Potter that just wanted to talk about interesting things.  
  
"I have no clue. But I hear she likes to wander into the Prefects' bathroom."  
  
His eyes widened. "You mean she likes to watch us."  
  
She grinned at him. "Yep."  
  
He looked at her in shock and then his old self began show again. "Well, I always knew girls' wanted to watch, but I didn't know they actually did." She slapped him on the arm but couldn't help but laugh at his grin. He laughed with her and unconsciously ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"You know I hate it when you do that," she told him.  
  
"Do what? Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I suppose I shouldn't do that. How about this?" He messed up her hair.  
  
"Stop it!" she shrieked, but was laughing. She attacked him, tickling his sides. He laughed so hard, he started to gasp out he needed breath. "Say it!" she said as she got him pinned. "Say Lily Evans is the greatest witch in Hogwarts!"  
  
"Alright, alright! Lily Evans is the greatest witch in Hogwarts!" he blurted out. But as soon as she eased up, he tackled her to the ground and began to do the same.  
  
"Ok, ok! What?" she cried.  
  
"Hmm. One question: why did you talk to me?" he asked, curious.  
  
"Well, I felt sorry for you," she lied. He raised an eyebrow and she giggled. "Alright, I came because I wanted to talk about Lupin."  
  
"What about?" he said, still pinning her.  
  
"Well, I know about his full moon problem," she whispered, trying not to look at him, which was hard as he was so close and she couldn't move.  
  
"You know about what he is?" he demanded, his eyes suddenly flashing.  
  
That gave her the answer, and she realized her fear was true. "He's a werewolf, isn't he?" James nodded.  
  
"What else do you know?"  
  
"I heard you and Black's argument. Oh, that's it! Black told Snape where Lupin was and Snape nearly got him killed. But how did he escape?"  
  
"Close, Evans." He lowered voice and head to her ears. She could feel his breath on her ear, low and clear. "This must not be repeated. Any of it to anyone. Sirius told Snape how to press the knot on the Whomping Willow and he could get to a secret passage. Well the fool Snape tried it that night. I had just gotten it out of Sirius and headed out there. Luckily we were near the Willow. So I went in there and got Snape out but it was too late. He had seen Remus."  
  
"Oh my God," she whispered. "Oh, Potter, thank God you saved him. I feel for Lupin, I do."  
  
"James, Evans, my name's James."  
  
"Lily then, James," she said with a small sad smile.  
  
Just at that moment, a tired-looking Lupin burst in. "Hey James, this time wasn't bad so," he broke off. "James? Evans? What are you doing?"  
  
"Uh, Remus. We weren't doing anything. Err, just talking," James stumbled. He got off her and allowed Lily to stand.  
  
"Really?" asked Lupin with an eyebrow raised a quirky smile. "What were you. talking. about?"  
  
"You," said Lily, blushing furiously. He frowned. She looked down.  
  
"She knows, Remus." Lupin or Remus's eyes widened. Fear showed along with a little anger.  
  
"I found out by myself," she blurted out. "It's ok."  
  
"Alright," he said uncomfortably, "Evans."  
  
"Lily, please."  
  
"Remus."  
  
Their eyes connected and they smiled. Both looked at James who beamed at them. "I'm glad you all are happy." With that, he pounced on Lily, tickling her as she fought, uselessly, against his Quidditch strength. All three laughed.  
  
Sirius Black walked out from the shadows and as soon as he did, everything stopped. You could hear a pin drop. "So. will you guys forgive me," he asked meekly. Time stopped as they looked at Remus.  
  
He paused. "Sure, mate." Sirius ran up and gave him a huge hug. "Breath, I need breath. Tired."  
  
"Sorry, mate. For everything." He set Remus on the couch.  
  
"Aww, come on, Sirius," said James. Lily was amazed that their friendship could come back together after such a fight. Then she felt jealous as James and Sirius started laughing and playing around. James suddenly stopped and looked at her. "Come on Lily, you too." 


End file.
